The Eastern Africa Standby Force successfully conducted the second of the three planned Civilian Foundation Courses for the year 2018 from Monday 30th July to Friday 10th August 2018 at the Humanitarian Peace Support School (HPSS) in Embakasi, Nairobi, Kenya.

The two-weeks' course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the conceptual framework of Peace Support Operation (PSOs) and to analyze the main tasks which are usually performed by civilian personnel in peace missions. It provides participants with insights into the structures and specific functional units in peace operations, their mandates and lessons learned from previous mission experiences. Moreover, the course contributes to the creation of a sense of common identity among future mission members who have different professional, organizational and cultural backgrounds.

On behalf of the EASF Director Dr. Abdillahi Omar Bouh, the EASF Chief of Staff Colonel Jean Marie Barumpishe presided over the official closing of the Foundation Course at the HPSS in Embakasi on Friday 10th August 2018. He applauded the course participants for successfully taking part in the course which is mandatory training considered a prerequisite for deployment of civilians in any PSO rolled out by either EASF or the African Union. The Chief of Staff was accompanied by the United Kingdom's Technical Advisor to EASF, Colonel Ewen Turner.

A total of twenty civilians from EASF Member States and various trainers took part in the course. The course was fully funded by the Government of the United Kingdom.

Photo Gallery: EASF Successfully Conducts Civilian Foundation Courses

The two-week Civilian Foundation Course started on 30th July 2018

Participants had been selected from EASF Member states

EASF offers the Civilian Foundation Course three times in a year

The EASF Civilian Rostering Officer explains to the course participants the rostering process

This mandatory training is a prerequisite for deployment of civilians in peace keeping missions

Former EASF Civilian Rostering Officer taking the participants through a session

A database trainer explaining some features of the rostering tool during the practical session

EASF Civilian Rostering Officer (left) and a member of HPSS staff assisting trainees during the data entry session

An officer from Kenya Defence Forces' Signal Unit explains how communications' radios work

Civilians participate in a simulation exercise

Trainees are briefed on how the exercise will run

The exercise involves surprise hostage taking

Many of the practical sessions are simulated in such a way that they reflect real life situations

The Amani Village at the HPSS was designed for such practical exercises

left to right - the Commandant of HPSS, the EASF Chief of Staff and the UK Technical Advisor to EASF during the closing ceremony.